Latest Game Purchases #22

Seems like it's been forever since I did one of these posts. Finally had some spare cash and this is what I ended up with. Not all in one day.

Wario Land: Shake It! is a game I've been wanting to check out for some time now. Just never got around to picking it up because I was buying something else or always holding off in spite of my wants. GameStop had a used copy for $13.99 so I finally added it to my collection.

Gunblade NY & L.A. Machineguns is a game I've been on the fence about buying. I don't know much about either game but I'm aware that they are old. Mind you, I'm all about some old-school gaming but I just wondered if these two aged well. The original price for this was $29.99 when it was first released but the price has since dropped. I got it at GameStop for just $19.99. So I guess I'll find out what these games are like for myself when I get a day off work.

The SNES Kirby Superstar is one of my favorite Kirby games and I'd been meaning to pick up Superstar Deluxe when it came out. When I saw a single complete copy at fye, I wondered if I should have gotten it. Yeah, it's one of my fave Kirby titles, but I'd played it before and could get a different DS game instead. In the end, I decided to make the purchase. And man, am I ever glad I did. I had some time to kill before work on Saturday and I went through Spring Breeze and Gourmet Race with an overwhelming sense of sense of nostalgia. Sure it doesn't sound just like it did on the SNES but the audio is still awesome and it looks even better than the SNES original, too, and that's saying a lot considering how good that 32-bit game looked.

 Rhythm Heaven is a game I've been aware of for years but never got around to picking it up. fye had a good chunk of these in stock but only one used copy going much cheaper than the new ones. So I bought it used. Haven't played it yet, but it sounds fun. I'll more than likely be picking up Rhythm Heaven Fever on the Wii sometime since it's just $30.

Still building the PSP collection even though I don't yet own one, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is my 5th PSP purchase. I bought it for my dad months ago so he could play Symphony of the Night but was surprise dto find out you had to unlock it. Who at Konami thought it was cool to advertise both Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night when both aren't even available from the get go? Not cool. Not a deal breaker, but still not cool. I hopped online and figured out how to unlock it for my dad months back. Of what I played, I was impressed with the Rondo of Blood remake. It seemed much easier, which is fine by me. I still haven't beaten Rondo of Blood on the Virtual Console version.

After seeing Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg earn a spot on Nintendo Power's best GameCube games list, I figured I should add it to my library. So I looked on Amazon and found a complete copy for under $9. Took about a week but it was waiting for me in the mail when I arrived home from work on Monday night. Case looks great and the disc is practically scratch-free.

I've always wanted a Wavebird controller for my GameCube and was surprised to see a silver one in GameStop for less than $17. I knew that if I didn't buy it then, it would be gone later on. It will be nice to play some GameCube games and not be so close to my TV or have to worry about the cord. Looking at the size of the thing, I feared it may take four AA batteries, but thankfully, like the Wii Remote, it only requires two.

Latest Game Purchases #12: Video Game Heaven Haul Edition

For some reason or another I decided to take a trip to Video Game Heaven on Tuesday, one of my in between days off from work. I could have easily gone on Thursday or Friday since I have those days off, too, but I thought I'd go on Tuesday just to be done with it. Turns out every Tuesday is 10% off on all purchases. Score!

The $4 bin of PS2, Xbox and GameCube games had some nice titles to offer again. I was able to pick up a complete copy of Jak 3 and complete the PS2 Jak and Daxter trilogy. I'm really looking forward to going through this series and I may pick up the spin off Jak X: Combat Racing someday.

I also bought Burnout 3: Takedown for $7.99. Burnout 3 is my favorite Burnout game and one of my favorite PS2 racers. It's complete, but the case is a bit worse for ware. I'll have to get a better case. One of the best arcade-style racing game deserves it.

I'm a huge fan of Robotech. I once owned the GameCube version of Robotech: Battlecry and it was another of those games that I traded. It may not have been the best licensed game but I did enjoy what I played some years ago. I'm happy to have it in my collection once more. For those of you not in the know, Robotech is an action/drama anime series that features transforming mechs that can launch a barrage of missiles. That's the short version. It would take way too much time to explain in depth about one of my favorite animes here.

There are still a few GameCube games I need to pick up before I'm finished buying games for that system but Chibi-Robo! was a game I didn't ever really plan on buying. It was there the last time I was at Video Game Heaven and I told myself that if it was still there, I'd pick it up. I'm not quiet sure how to explain it, but I felt compelled to buy Chibi-Robo! as if the self titled character was staring right back at me with those little eyes saying "Buuuuuy meeeeee!" The came was complete and the more I read about it on the back of the case and  in the game's manual, the stranger it sounds. From what I gather, it's not your conventional game and I'm really surprised Nintendo published something like this six years ago.

A good friend loaned me his copy of the SNES game Demon's Crest a few years back. It's a fantastic spin-off title in the Ghost 'n Goblins series staring Firebrand, who looks like one of the enemies that Arthur encounters during his quest to save his lady love. Demon's Crest is far more forgiving than any of Arthur's adventures and it has a dash of RPG elements. I liked Demon's Crest so much that I sought out Gargoyle's Quest II on the NES about five years ago. It's another game staring Firebrand that I need to complete. Both it and Demon's Crest need to see Virtual Console releases. Make it happen, Capcom.

Remember the Super FX chip on the SNES? It maid polygonal graphics possible on Nintendo's 16-bit machine. Mention that chip and most people will think of StarFox but there were a few other games that made use of it, such as Stunt Race FX. This game doesn't have the greatest controls but it's still fun and it hardly cost anything. Looking forward to playing it again.

I was told by one of the clerks that no one was buying their Genesis games, which is odd because they have a nice selection. They had the entire Phantasy Star Genesis trilogy for chump change. The only reason I bought Phantasy Star II and IV is because I already have a physical copy of Phantasy Star III. Both games were only $9.99. I'd always assumed both of those games would go for $20 or more considering the reputation they have. Oh well, I'm not complaining. Wonder Boy in Monster World was even cheaper, going for $3.99.

Back in 1998, I played a demo of Einhander. A few years later, I found a new copy of the game at KB Toys for $24.99. Then for some stupid reason, I traded it in. Einhander ended up becoming one of those rare PS1 games. So I was surprised to see it in Video Game Heaven for the exact same price I paid for nearly 10 years ago. The case was cracked but the clerk replaced it with a fresh one. Was mighty nice of him. Not only is Ehinder a unique shooter, it also has a stand out musicals core. One of the boss themes, Shudder is hands down, one of the best boss tracks I've ever heard.  

I remember reading about Silhouette Mirage on the PlayStation in 1998 in Game Informer and Electronic Gaming Monthly. I wanted to play the game but was never able to find a copy. Years later, I found out that the game was originally released on the Saturn in 1997 and ported to Sony's system a year later. Being an import, I was worried that Silhouette Mirage would be costly, but it turned out to be pretty affordable at only $34.99. It's also on Sony's PlayStation Network in Japan. The American version is actually a lot harder due to the changes Working Designs implemented. I guess I'm better off with the Saturn version after all. I ended up buying this because it was a recommended import on Retro Gamer's Sega Saturn Collector's Guide feature.

I've always been a huge fan of the Gradius series and it's spin-offs. The Gradius Deluxe Pack has arcade perfect ports of Gradius and Gradius II. I was never able to get the arcade rom of Gradius on MAME to work so it's nice to finally be able to play the arcade version on the Saturn. Much as I like the NES version of Gradius, it's nice to have easy access to arcade Gradius at last. Gradius II seems to be just as hard and relentless as the PC-Engine version that I have on the Virtual Console. Both games have English text, so no knowledge of the Japanese language is required. Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus has three games on it, Salamander, Life Force and Salamander 2, all arcade perfect. Salamander 2 is one of my favorite shooters to play on MAME and now I can fire it up on the Saturn whenever I like. What little text it has int he game is also all in English.

Each time I went into Video Game Heaven, I saw Power Drift. I've never played the game, but I'm aware that it was developed by Yu Suzuki, of OutRun, Super Hang-On, and Space Harrier fame. I was still unsure of whether I should pick it up or not. What talked me into picking it up was Retro Gamer's "Why You Must Play" feature on Power Drift. That magazine has no problem swaying me.

Latest Game Purchases #10

The bulk of these games came from GameStop and as a result, I'm getting Game Informer magazine again. After reading a few articles in the magazine that I got with my games, I have to say that I like what I'm seeing. Since I haven't read GI in so long, it's like welcoming back an old friend. But I digress.

I missed out on Samba De Amigo on for the Dreamcast and I'd been meaning to pick up the Wii version. I saw it for $20 at K-Mart a few times but I'm glad I held off because I was able to score a used, complete copy for just $4.99 at GameStop. As fun as using maraca controllers on the Dreamcast might be, I think I'll manage just fine with the Wii Remote and nunchuck.

Before I moved out from Ohio, I passed up a chance to pick up House of the Dead 2 & 3: Return for $19.99 at a GameStop. Days later when I went back, it was gone. I've kicked myself ever since. As luck would have it, I saw the game again for the same price and in a GameStop, no less. Seriously, what were the odds? Oh and it was also complete. Green-blooded zombies and stiff, wooden voice acting, here I come!

Mario Golf, Mario Tennis; I've really enjoyed the Mario line of sports titles. I saw Super Mario Strikers used a few times for $17.99 but I just wasn't willing to part with the cash. GameStop had it used and complete for just $9.99. Super Mario Strikers was made by Next Level Games (Punch-Out!! on the Wii) instead of Camelot so it'll be interesting to see what their take on Mario-style soccer (or football depedning on where you're from.)

Sonic Unleashed is the only game that I didn't buy at GameStop, but instead, I got it from fye. This is another game I've been wanting to pick up and was wondering which version to get. It's kind of ironic that of all three next gen systems Sonic Unleashed was released for, the Wii version, released on inferior hardware in comparison to the 360 and PS3, ended up being the best one. Now I've heard that Sonic Unleashed is not the best 3D Sonic game and the Werehog stages are a deal breaker for some. However, I've also heard that the day stages were pretty good. Besides, I got it used and complete for $9.99.

Review: Pikmin

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Real Time Strategy
System: GameCube (Also available on Wii)

Fun fact: Shigeru Miyamato (creator of Mario for the three of you that didn't know) likes to garden in his spare time. So it doesn't come as much of a surprise that his idea of a real time strategy games has no human soldiers to speak off (well, maybe one if you include the central protagonist). There are no tanks, bazookas or the usual types of weapons you find in a game like Command & Conquer or Advance Wars. In Pikmin, you wage war with small vegetable-like creatures. What they lack in size and artillery, they more than make up for in numbers and a well-crafted game.


While flying through space, Captain Olimar's ship, the Dolphin takes a hit from a meteor, which sends it spiraling out of control. When he comes to, the captain finds that his ship is a mere shell of it's former self, missing a grand total of 30 parts. The ship is capable of flying but without all of the proper pieces, it cannot maintain flight in space. To make matters worse, the planet that Olimar has crash landed on contains toxic air and his space suit's ability to keep out the poisonous oxygen will only last for 30 days. Fortunately for Olimar, the planet is teeming with friendly alien plant-like creatures known as Pikmin and they are more than willing to aid him in his quest for the missing ship pieces.

Pikmin come in three different types. Red Pikmin are the strongest fighters and are immune to fire. Yellow Pikmin can be thrown the highest and can carry bomb rocks, useful for breaking down walls that cannot be destroyed by the usual means. Blue Pikmin are the only type that won't drown in water. You can make as many of each type as you want, though you'll probably have the least yellows since they aren't required to use nearly as often as the blues and reds. Though there will be times where you'll have to use all three types of Pikmin effectively to get a ship part. Each Pikmin starts out with a leaf atop it's head. If left in the ground, over the time, the Pikmin will bloom into flowers, the best type of Pikmin. You can also feed leaf and bud Pikmin nectar to turn them into flower Pikmin. Flower Pikmin tend to be more focused than the leaf and bud times, so you should convert the Pikmin to flower types whenever you have a good opportunity.

The game takes place over the span of 30 game days, with the exception of the first day, which is more a less an tutorial, the rest of the 29 days are comprised of 13 minutes each. You'll want to accomplish as much as you can in each day but you shouldn't let the time limit scare you too much. Only 25 of the Dolphin's parts are mandatory to make the ship take off. The remaining five parts have no overall function to the ship. Getting all 30 parts does allow you to see the game's best ending and it is entirely possible to secure all 30 parts before you reach day 30, so in completing the game in a speedy fashion lies a bit of replay value.

Most of the ship's pieces are can be found while exploring the 5 different areas, but a few of the parts are held by hostile creatures, some that fall pretty easy, others, not so much. The general tactic to defeating enemies is throwing your Pikmin at it, but it isn't always that simple. At times you'll have to throw the Pikmin in harm's way before you expose an enemies' weak point and only then can he be slain. Red Pikmin may be the best fighters, but they aren't always the best choice to take in battle. In fact some areas, force you to rely on your other Pikmin types to obtain ship pieces. The fourth area in the game, the Distant Spring, houses a lot of water so you'll want to have lots of blue Pikmin for navigating the area and fighting.

It doesn't matter if you're moving a small group of Pikmin or an army of the cute little critters, the controls remain amazingly simple. With the touch of the A button you pluck the Pikmin from the ground, order them to swarm a foe, or carry a ship part back to base. It really is a easy as it sounds. You can control up to 100 Pikmin at once and easily dismiss them into groups. The B button whistles the Pikmin to your side and can be used on a single Pikmin, a small group, or a large group. If there's one hiccup to speak of, it would be controlling yellow Pikmin with bomb rocks. It's very easy to accidentally throw a much needed bomb rock at the wrong time and make you just one bomb short of destroying a blocked passage.

The Pikmin themselves are in a few words, absolutely adorable. Sure their entire purpose is that of a soldier, but I guarantee that you'll come to care for them more than any other trooper of a military based RTS game. Pikmin takes measures to make sure you care for the cute little guys as if they were your own children. Maybe it's the awww-inducing way they say "Hi!" when you pick them from the ground, or when they jump up and down triumphantly when they successfully get a ship part back to base, but I found myself showing more compassion for Pikmin than many other video game characters. And when a Pikmin falls in battle? The cries they give when the die always made me cringe. I felt even worse at the end of the day when Olimar took off at night and a stray Pikmin I forgot to collect was slaughtered by the vicious alien lifeforms that come to base at nightfall. So much so that I started checking the map for stray Pikmin. At one point I only had one stray and I went off to collect him because I didn't want anymore of my babies to die. Pikmin is video game caring potential incarnate.

For being a first generation GameCube title, Pikmin looks very impressive. Whether being viewed up close or from afar with the game's three different camera angels, the game's five different environments shine with enough detail to make you feel like you really are a small creature in a gigantic world. The water visuals in the Distant Spring are especially stunning. The game's musical score, composed my Haijime Wakai is outstanding and strikes a nice balance of upbeat and serene tracks.

Pikmin is a game that should be played by those that love RTS games and even those that don't really get into the genre. It is on the short side (10-12 hours at the most), but this is one of those fun, charming games that just about anyone can pick up and play. I so want to play Pikmin 2 now.

8/10

Screenshots from armchairmempire.com.